Today we’d like to introduce you to Trevor Kelliher.
Hi Trevor, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My name is Trevor Kelliher. I am the founder of a non-profit organization called All Friends Network (AFN) based out of Sarasota, Florida. I was born with Cerebral Palsy and due to my disability, I know the difficulties of making friendships and having a fulfilling social life. My difficulties in making meaningful friendships after high school was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was during this time of social isolation that I was inspired to start a social network connecting people with disabilities to enjoy friendships in a safe and accessible way, thus All Friends Network was born. The focus at All Friends Network is to help those with disabilities, with a concentration on autism, cerebral palsy, and other developmental disabilities, enhance their quality of life through the joy of friendship.
The programs we provide include in-person and virtual events to promote friendship and inclusion for all. Our core mission is to encourage the formation of new friendships, foster lifelong connections, and ultimately enhance the quality of life, for all those involved, through the joy of friendship.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We started All Friends Network in March of 2020. Of course, this time period was challenging for the entire world, and it did make starting our nonprofit organization difficult as well. The programs that we provide include in-person events, virtual events, and our dedicated online social network platform, AFN Live-LINK.
Although we believe that having in-person events are crucial to cultivate growing relationships between people, at this time in-person events were not possible due to Covid-19 and the strict quarantine and social distancing restrictions. Our focus became more specifically the virtual aspects of our programs, which during this time period, people were very eager to participate in given the pandemic climate.
We started hosting a weekly virtual game night over Zoom, which turned out to be a big success. We found that members were excited to join us weekly and stated the highlight of their week was joining other members every Thursday for game night. As people started attending our game night regularly, relationships were starting to be built. We also saw that members were using our social networking platform, AFN Live-LINK, and continuing to connect and grow their relationships in that space as well.
Also, members started talking to each other independently by phone and texting. This was proving to me that our goal of promoting and building friendships was turning into a reality. As the pandemic began to ease and regulations were lifted, we delved into organizing the in-person events in our program. It was heartening to see the enthusiasm and eagerness of our members to come together and engage in thrilling and enjoyable activities. When we began hosting our in-person events, we hosted events quarterly.
As All Friends Network grew, it quickly became apparent that in-person events were a fan favorite, and started hosting monthly in-person events due to popular demand! We recently held our largest event of 75 members, which was a great success. Past events All Friends Network has held include; Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Rays sporting events, Safari Rides & More Field Day Activities, Boat Excursion on the Manatee River, Pizza Parties, In-Person Game Nights, Golf Tournament Fundraising Events, and More!
We are hosting our 2nd Annual Golf Tournament Fundraising Event at Serenoa Golf Club in Sarasota this October 6th! We are so proud of our accomplishments and how far All Friends Network has come.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
All Friends Network is my life’s passion. I feel so determined and privileged to help others struggling to find friendship and community, as I did. For a long time, I felt like I was the only one struggling with having a fulfilling social life. I felt like I was alone.
It wasn’t until I started All Friends Network that I realized how many people felt exactly as I did. It pushed me even further to achieve my goal of helping to provide friendship for all. I am so proud of our program’s success at All Friends Network. We have seen a significant increase in our membership numbers and participation rates, which is a testament to the quality of our program and the dedication of our team.
Our in-person programs have been well-received by our members, and we have seen a steady increase in attendance at our events. We have also received positive feedback from our members about the quality of our programs and the value they provide. Our virtual programs have also been a great success, with many members taking advantage of the convenience and accessibility of virtual programs.
We have seen a significant increase in participation rates for our virtual events, which has allowed us to reach a wider audience and provide more value to our members. It is such an incredible feeling to know that the programs we offer have made such a powerful impact on our members. Seeing the positive feedback and growth of our members has been incredibly rewarding and motivating.
I think what sets us apart from others is that not only are we an inclusive organization to help promote friendship and socialization for all, but we also provide both in-person and virtual events where members can feel included and participate, regardless of where they reside or their physical capability. I believe it is important to make our programs accessible to everyone.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Thank you so much for taking the time to this opportunity and providing a space for All Friends Network to spread our mission and bring awareness to the community. Individuals with disabilities struggle to obtain fulfilling social lives and evidence shows that people living with physical disabilities are at least three times more likely to experience depression compared to the general public, with a depression prevalence of 96% in the young adult population.
With the help of our programs, we can help individuals with disabilities find friendships and enhance their quality of life by reducing anxiety/depression, decreasing loneliness, increasing self-worth, increasing overall happiness, and improving everyday quality of life. Our mission is simple, to help young adults with disabilities find friendship and enhance their quality of life or what we like to say the 3 F’s Friendship, Fulfillment & Fun.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://allfriendsnetwork.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allfriendsnetwork/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AFN2021
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=all+friends+network
Image Credits
Christian Russell, Greg Kelliher, Paul Amato, Korey Soderman, Roxanne, Aubery, and Trevon Jones
